Wedding
by 00Zero
Summary: Nao, in a beautiful white dress; her long hairs are pulled back and styled to make her small face stand out as the blossom flower. In front of her is Akiyama, offering her his arm.


**Disclaimer: ** _I do not own Lair game, because if I do you would close the book right away because the genius Akiyama would not exist._

**Note**: _I have been reading Liar Game Fan fictions for the past few days and couldn't help but write one of my own. Feel free to criticize, and point out your opinions. Thanks for the read._

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><p>Nao, in a beautiful white dress; her long black hairs are pull back and styles to make her small face stands out as a blossom flower. In front of her is Akiyama, offering her his arm. Akiyama is in a neat suit that makes his already handsome face looks ten times better. He had cut his hairs short and styles them with hair gel. His clean-cut looks leave no trace of the swindler ex-cone on him. He was late, but it doesn't matter. What matter is that he's here. Today wouldn't feel complete without him. There are so many questions to ask and so much more to tell, but all can wait. Nao takes his arm.<p>

It has been five years since the Liar Game has ended. So many things have changed. Nao's father passed away four years ago, but she gradually stood back up on her own feet. She now a graduate student with a steady job and no longer lost her sleep worrying over the crazy Lair Game. Her hair has grown so long, and she is now an independent woman. So many things have changed in her life, but what changed most is Nao herself. She no longer sees only the world she wanted to see, but the reality and learned to comprehend with it.

In hard time, Akiyama had always been there for her. He was the light in darkness, and created a way for her when there was none. He was there for her, protected her, watched over her, until they won the game and even after her father's death. He was with her until she was alright and strong; he disappeared!

He made it as if he never existed in her life. All she knew was that he went aboard. He cut all the connections with her. There was no news, no contacts, and no traces of him. The only thing she had of him was his email address. She wrote him often, but afraid it would annoy him, she decreased her writing. She wrote to him about her days, about her school, about her happiness, her sadness, loneliness, or just about mundane things, as if he was still there with her. She knew it was childish, but it was the only way she could keep him in her life, to make she felt like she was still connected to him somehow. She has continued doing so for the past three and a half years without knowing if he even read it. Apparently he did. The fact that Akiyama's here today is proving so.

Walking arm in arm with Akiyama on the long aisle, all eyes are on them. She feels her face burning as her cheeks turning red and the butterflies in her stomach squeaking around. Akiyama appears a bit add, she cannot put a finger on it, but that's what her guts tell her. It could be her imagination, but she swears she could feel Akiyama's arm shaking a bit as if he, too, is nervous or trying hard to control himself. But it might as well be her imagination because from the past's events she nearly never saw him nervous even when they were in a tight spot, so she decided to ignore it. The great Akiyama would not get nervous from something as silly as walking down the aisle. All she can feels now is how happy she is. She couldn't describe to him just how grateful she is for him being here. She smiles.

And here they are, standing in front of the priest and a handsome young man, who's grinning like an idiot; smiling as if he were the happiest man on earth. Nao couldn't help but returns his smile with one of her own. Akiyama grasps her hand; she could feel the grasp getting a bit tighter than necessary. She eyes him in confusion. For a second, only a second, she feels his hesitation. It's as if he doesn't want to give her away. Pain appears in Akiyama's eye, as his hand tightens on hers. But it disappeared as fast as it came, leaving Nao to wonder if it were all her imaginations.

"You are a lucky man. Take good care of Nao," Akiyama says in his calm, none challenge tone, handing her hand to Shigeru.

"Of course. I will do everything in my power to make sure she's happy. You don't know how much it meant to me to be approved by you. I have heard so much about you from Nao," Shigeru proudly states, taking her hand into his.

Millions thoughts racing though Nao's mind. She can't shake the image of Akiyama's painful expression out of her head; even though it was only there for a second, if it were ever there at all. She shouldn't be feeling like this. Today is her wedding's day. The day she would make a promise to share the rest of her life with Shigeru. She loves Shigeru. Of course, she wouldn't be marrying him if she doesn't love him. Until a moment ago, she was so happy seeing him smiling at her. The thrills of him asking her to marry him still linger. But now, all she could think of is Akiyama's pain. Shames wash over her as guilt stabs into her chest for having such an uncontrollable ugly thought. She could see Akiyama in the crowd, appears as none challenge ever. Only if Nao haven't spots his shaking hands forming into tight fists...

Everything feels far and distance to Nao. The memories she had shared with Akiyama are refreshing themselves in her mind clearly as if it were just yesterday. The ceremony continues, but Nao barely hear the vow when Shigeru said "I do," She loves Shigeru so much she could die for him. But why does she feel this way?

Akiyama. Akiyama, too, meant a lot to her that nothing could be compared. That's why she wanted him to be here and walked her down the aisle in her father's stead. She was so happy that he showed up; despite him barely made it in time and she didn't hear from him for years.

She never thought that she would hurt him. All she could think of is wanted him to be happy, the same as he always wanted for her. Saying that she had never thought of him more than just a friend would be a lie, but she never thought of other possibilities. No, she was too afraid to hope that Akiyama would have feelings for her, too. His disappearance was the evidence of his rejections of her.

Nao's head's spinning with a tornado of thoughts. Now no matter what she chooses, someone will get hurt. She couldn't go through her wedding feeling like this. She never thought she would be this wishy-washy. She had loved Shigeru, and still loves him so much. Even so, she just wants to abandon all the reasons and walks to Akiyama to embrace him in her arms, if that would ease his pain and make him happy, she would do anything. What she saw might be just her imagination, but that's what she wanted to believe she saw.

Could she abandon Shigeru? The sweet man she had fallen for? Could she bear to see him heart-broken? No, would she be able to break his heart when all he ever done was loved her?

The priest question has ended.

Everyone is waiting for her answer.

"Do you, Nao Kanzaki, take, Shigeru Akitato, to be your lawful wedded husband?" the priest repeats the question once more. Now it's time to choose and she wouldn't be able to run from her decision. What should she say? "Will you love, respect and honor him throughout your years together?"

She looks at Shigeru who awaits her answer. The man who she has shares so many memories with. The man is so reliable but acting all childish, a side he only shown, around her. The man who watched her favorite love movie when he couldn't stand the main character's attitude and the cheesiness. The man who always on her mind every morning when she opened her eyes. Who she feels so comfortable with as if he was a part of her, but still manages to make her heart skips from time to time. Will she be able to let go of that big warm hand that had always locked tight on hers and never tough it again? The image of the agony Shigeru falling to pieces would destroy her.

Then she looks at Akiyama whose eyes are locks on her. Almost screaming at her to dash to him and run away to the end of the earth. Now she has to choose. She has to follow the voice of her heart.

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><p><em>This is it. I will leave her choice to your imagination. I hope it enjoyable. Thanks for reading.<em>


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